About Me

My name is Juliet and I’m a mom, businesswoman, blogger, aspiring baker and Vincent’s lifetime girl! As a passionate weight ‘loss enthusiast’, I help people overcome their weight challenges by providing motivation, meal plans, recipes, exercise plans, tips and tricks simply because I’ve been there.

Stay Connected

SUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER

...Love Life,Enjoy Living
FOODS THAT IMPROVE MOOD

FOODS THAT IMPROVE MOOD

  • November 28, 2021
  • by

The link between food and mood will come as no surprise. There is joy and social connection when sharing birthday cake with loved ones. Certain tastes and smells evoke feelings of nostalgia from childhood. On the other hand, it is common to feel irritable during long periods of fasting, and feelings of guilt are common when overeating. The commonly used terms ‘comfort’ food and ‘hangry’ define how food can bring an emotional response.

Scientifically speaking, we are an entity that lies at the lapse of dynamic flux of nutrients and chemicals which defines our condition at every point in time.
Our moods are determined by the chemical messengers in the brain known as neurotransmitters: Serotonin, dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and noradrenaline.  These chemical messengers are necessary to balance the intensity of signals between neurons in the brain and rest of the body. Low levels of serotonin in particular have been linked with neurological disorders, anxiety and depression.

Some evidence shows that folate, zinc, magnesium, iron, selenium and vitamin D may be protective against anxiety, mood swings, and irritability. To feed your happy hormones, a well-balanced diet will provide adequate sources of these nutrients, as they are commonly found in a variety of foods.

MICRONUTRIENT SOURCES INCLUDES:

Folate: Green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, lentils, fortified foods and beverages.
Zinc: Red meat, liver, egg yolk, oysters, bran.
Magnesium: Almonds, bananas, broccoli, oatmeal, soybeans, whole grains.
Iron: Red meat, poultry and fish, beans & pulses, fortified cereals.
Selenium: Brazil nuts, meat, fish, seeds, wholemeal bread.
Vitamin D: Sunlight, fortified foods and beverages, eggs.
B vitamins: Whole grains, meat, dairy, eggs, seeds, nuts, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
Choline: Beef, eggs, fish, chicken, dairy, shiitake mushrooms, beans.

CHOOSE SMART CARBOHYDRATE

SOURCES: Low glycemic index carbohydrates are best! This includes whole grains,sweet potatoes, and rolled oats. These increase the influx of serotonin in the brain, ultimately improving mood. Also the consumption of eggs, poultry, tofu, fish, dairy and beans have been linked to high dopamine and norepinephrine levels leaving us more cheerful and positive.

EMBRACE THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

The mediterranean diet is a balanced, healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fish — all of which are important sources of nutrients linked to preventing depression.

CHOOSE ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS SOURCES

Approximately 60% of the brain is made up of fatty acids, which include omega-3 fats. As a result, omega-3 fats are essential for the normal function of the brain. Sources of omega-3 include oily fish, seeds like chia, flax, and hemp, nuts, fortified foods and supplements. Epidemiological studies show that in countries where people eat large amounts of oily fish, depression is less common .
In addition, omega-3 fats have anti-inflammatory effects on the body by releasing chemicals called eicosanoids.

DRINK ENOUGH WATER

Adequate hydration is often considered to impact cognition, concentration and is fundamental to all biological functions and metabolic pathways. Therefore, it is imperative that we stay adequately hydrated to maintain physical and mental health. Moreover, even mild dehydration can impact mood and alertness.  Furthermore, it was observed by Researchers at Rockefeller university, that memory, motor skills and numeric abilities decline in states of moderate dehydration.

Conclusively, you have no right to annoy others or make people tip-toe around you, your mood is your responsibility therefore, consider the right food a worthy goal.

1 Comment

    Mercy

    28th Nov 2021 - 5:55 pm

    I’ve learnt another way to spice up my mood….Thank you

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

 

Khyra Blog

My name is Juliet and I’m a mom, businesswoman, blogger, aspiring baker and Vincent’s lifetime girl! As a passionate weight ‘loss enthusiast’, I help people overcome their weight challenges by providing motivation, meal plans, recipes, exercise plans, tips and tricks simply because I’ve been there.

I believe in life- in all its beauty, dangers, worries, fun, pains, work (O yes!) excitement, happiness. I know that within each one of us is a burning desire to share, to do good, to work, to find meaning, to enhance that which we perceive to be oh so not good about us.

Weight challenges are an individual thing. Beauty issues are in the eyes of the beholder (my take!). But then, there’s a common denominator in all our problems: they won’t go away on their own. 

There’s no one size fits all remedy for life’s problems. At khyra my aim is to provide you with the motivation, info, tools, time and community of like minds to help on your journey to a fit, graceful and trendy you. 

I’ll be sharing home grown, weight loss, beauty and fitness ideas that help the modern woman (and our men!) shed excess kilograms, keep the weight off, live healthy vibrant lives, enjoying themselves and being at their most beautiful and productive best

Visiting for the first time?  Welcome!  For you to have read this far, it means you are ready to take charge of your life, enjoy your time on the planet and give life your best shot. I welcome queries, suggestions and criticisms. Living is learning and Khyra ain’t no different!

KHYRA…….love life, enjoy living

Stay Connected

Categories

×